Chapter 237: The Celestial Accord
"So, you are not able to speak or take a humanoid form, huh?"
Akasha spoke more to himself than anything as he went over the knowledge flowing through his mind.
He walked the open skies of the World of Beast with Sage still settled on his head, her gray fur against his purple-and-white hair.
The infinity symbols in his eyes turned at an unhurried pace while he sorted what the bond had given him—limits, traits, the shape of a goddess that preferred stillness to spectacle.
Then, to his astonishment, Sage spoke.
However, the words didn’t come from her lips but slipped quietly into his mind.
’Master... Sage can speak to Master,’ she said, her tone carrying the lazy, unhurried drawl of a young girl.
Akasha froze mid-step, one eyebrow lifting in surprise.
For a moment, he paused, realizing how impossible this should have been.
He knew that neither racial nor bloodline rank had anything to do with Sage—or any other beast—being able to speak or take on a humanoid form.
It all came down to their power rank, a level so high that even Akasha himself didn’t know it.
"Ah, fuck it," he muttered, shaking his head.
As always, there was no point in wasting time pondering something he had no way of figuring out right now.
Instead, a faint smile curved his lips.
"Sage, welcome to the family."
To his words, Sage remained silent, but she didn’t need to respond.
Their bond conveyed everything without words.
[Sage Originat’s Favorability: 100/100]
He wasn’t the least bit surprised by her favorability, letting the moment quietly slip away as he gazed out over the empty fields and flowers that now seemed to make up an entire world.
"Alright... Sage, let’s take a little trip," he said, "before everything truly changes."
At this moment, the world of beasts no longer required his attention.
All he wanted was for it to be ready when the time came to populate it. Yet he knew that such a task would have to wait until he returned to Dream Land.
"The Summoning Dimension," he muttered to himself, for what he envisioned for his Pantheon was far more than just a world filled with wild creatures.
No, he imagined a place where bonds would naturally form between any being and the beast that resonated with them.
But there was an obstacle in his way—the Summoning Dimension itself.
This was a place within Pantheos that supplied every summonable entity, and before he could move forward with his grand design, he would have to address it.
That resolution would come in due time, but for now, his ultimate focus was on the Celestial Accord.
"Take me to the stronghold of the Celestial Moon Pantheon."
In that moment, he spoke in the language of the gods, and there was no blinding flash, no dramatic tear in the sky.
In the blink of an eye, Akasha and Sage were gone, vanishing without a trace, no longer drifting above the World of Beasts.
----
It had not even been a full hour since Sunya left the highest chamber of the Celestial Moon stronghold, but Nara and Amaterasu had already shifted their priorities.
Currently, as they stood, between them hung a projection of Star Systems turning slowly in the air, each one a candidate for the Celestial Sun Pantheon to take over.
Nara observed the projection with the same measured, calculating silence she had shown earlier when watching Sunya.
Her sharp green eyes drifted from one star system to another, mentally gauging distances, possible resistance, and just how much of the Accord’s focus each decision might provoke.
"Are these really the only options left to us?" Amaterasu asked, voice tinged with frustration.
"None of these star systems are worth our time... they’re all far too young, and it will be ages before they produce beings of at least Origin rank."
Nara sighed as she shifted her stance a fraction, the green robe settling around her as she lifted one hand and turned the projection toward a tighter group of stars.
"Amaterasu... if we aim for any other star systems," she said, shaking her head, "we’ll only start another war."
The main reason the candidates had all been so young from the start was, frankly, to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
Amaterasu’s eyes shifted from the map to meet Nara’s gaze.
’That damn Izanami...’ she thought bitterly, unable to stop herself from placing the blame for everything that had befallen her Pantheon squarely on the shoulders of the one woman who had ruined it all.
’I should never have allowed those wretched Dead Kami to survive in the first place.’
Still, she was far too old and wise to let her losses cloud her judgment, even if deep down she longed to take the simplest course of action—whether that meant reclaiming Orin, or at the very least, striking at a Star System worthy of such an effort.
"Then... what happens next?" she asked.
"After you make your decision..." Nara replied, her tone steady.
"I’ll have the Celestial Void Pantheon assist with the mission."
At that, Amaterasu raised an eyebrow, fully aware that the Celestial Void Pantheon was yet another one of their allies.
Still, the revelation only earned an eye roll from her as she spoke with dry sarcasm.
"Right... let’s send two Pantheons to deal with a weak Star System," she said mockingly.
"I mean, why not waste that kind of power on something so trivial instead of putting it toward something actually worthwhile?"
Nara drew in a breath to answer, the beginning of a sigh already leaving her, and another voice arrived first.
"Yeah, I have to agree... that does sound backward."
HUMMMMM!!!!!
Both women turned simultaneously, their power surging as their eyes narrowed in focus.
And there.... Akasha stood, wearing a relaxed smile, his hands buried in the deep pockets of his loose black clothes, with Sage resting on his head.
Amaterasu vanished in a flicker of flame and appeared in front of him, the punch already leaving her shoulder.
Akasha just shook his head, though he couldn’t really blame her.
’Well, I did show up out of nowhere... and I’m sure she doesn’t recognize me anymore,’ he thought to himself as he spoke.
"Place her nicely on the throne."
The moment the Language of the Gods left him, Amaterasu stopped completely.
HUMMMMM!!!
Before she could complete the strike, she suddenly found herself seated on one of the grand thrones, her red eyes wide with astonishment, fingers gripping tightly to the armrests.
"The... Language of the Gods?" she murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief.
The idea of someone not only capable of using it but also forming complete sentences in its sacred script was almost unheard of, a rarity so profound it left her momentarily speechless.
Nara stayed in front of the projection, tilting her head slightly as her green eyes narrowed.
She studied the altered face, the new hairstyle, the unfamiliar mark, and those eyes that seemed both strange and familiar all at once.
"Akasha?"
The name was recognition and question together.
Much like everyone else who had seen him after one of his evolutions... she couldn’t entirely make out his appearance, but his voice remained the same, which she picked up on.
However, unlike the others, in that moment she couldn’t sense even a trace of Elven blood flowing through him.
"What happened to... your bloodline?"
Akasha’s brow lifted in mild amusement.
"Oh?" He said as he strolled up to the projection and stopped at her side, his smile never faltering.
"So, you remember me, huh?"
Seated on the throne, Amaterasu’s simmering anger twisted into something sharper, more dangerous, as recognition dawned.
Her eyes widened, and in that instant, she spoke with a voice like a blade.
"You bastard! Release me now!"
Akasha didn’t spare her a glance, and neither did Nara. Her focus remained fixed on him, not on the Sun Kami she had just declined to soothe.
"Do not release her," Nara said firmly. Then her tone dropped as her thoughts already turned behind the green of her eyes, and she continued.
"Why are you here ahead of schedule? Did something happen?"